Gettysburg, and specifically Devil's Den and Little Round Top did it for me. I was only a kid during my first trip there and being in those spots and being able to visualize the battle over that terrain really ignited my interest in US history. It started with wars, and everything I've learned since (including other wars as well as expanding away from them) has helped me understand and contextualize the world we currently inhabit.
Kevin, I have a couple. Standing at the Surrender Site at Vicksburg. It really evokes the immense sacrifices the Soldiers the Army of the Tennessee made to take Vicksburg for 6 long months. Snodgrass Hill at Chickamauga. It is the battle in way back in 1987 which generated my interest in the Civil War. Before that I was mainly a World War 2 guy. What got me there was I was a captain in 3rd Battalion, 19th Infantry, The Rock of Chickamauga. The 19th served in King's Regular Brigade of the AOC and stood with Thomas on Snodgrass Hill. Finally, the Breakthrough Point at Pamplin Historical Park where the VIth Corps broke the line of the Confederate forces defending Petersburg on 2 April 1865. It ended the 10 month Siege of Petersburg.
At Shiloh that spot is where the union line ended day 1. You look over your shoulder and see the River and realize how close that battle came to having a very different outcome. Enjoy your visit! The other place is the bloody angle at Spotsylvania courthouse. You can still see the remains of trenches and it’s easy to imagine the thousands of men who gave their lives in that struggle. When you come visit Shiloh also go to Murfreesboro to see Stones River.
For me, it is Gettysburg. The whole battlefield, but particularly Little Round Top. My first visit was in the summer of 1992, when I was 12. We were there on July 2, the anniversary of the conflict. We had just visited the Jenny Wade house and I had ghosts on my mind. The air misty. As I looked around me from atop Little Round Top, I could feel a current of energy. In my mind, it felt like I could sense the battle happening just beyond the veil.
Hi Aubrey. Little Round Top is a great spot, but it is interesting that its popularity really never took off until the movie "Gettysburg" was released. Thanks for sharing.
Perryville. As for a spot, probably along the creek where the 42nd Indiana got stuck against the high banks, but really walking up and down any of the seemingly endless hills makes me realize how much tramping the soldiers did, and how hard it was as they carried pounds and pounds of equipment on a hot day during a drought.
It was my one and only time at Antietam. I was on the sunken road looking out at the field. Nobody else was anywhere around that I could see. Everything was so silent. So severe. It all struck me. Nothing else has come close. I still think on that place from time to time.
That is a powerful spot. One of my ggg grandfathers unit was in that sunken road that day. He was too sick to report for duty that day. If he had been well I might not be here. That’s what I thought about standing in that road.
Franklin TN - when you take the tour at the Carter House, the last stop is the Carter Farm Office. When the guide opens the door the sight of hundreds of bullet holes in the south wall always gives me pause. I have probably done that tour 5 or 6 times, but my reaction is always heart tugging emotion.
Cold Harbor. The walking tour of the battlefield ends at the point where you can see exactly what the Union troops saw, and knew they had to face, before they were cut down - a long open field at the end of which was a line of Confederates that had natural cover and some elevation. I had read about this battle but seeing this part of the battfield with my own eyes brought on some emotions I was not expecting.
We visited Richmond, DC, and Gettysburg in Aug 2020. Seeing Richmond confederate statues covered in grafitti and then seeing Gettysburg covered in the battle flag and Trump signs was a lot. As for battlefields. After listening to hours of Stephen Lang celebrating the clash of swords and glints of steel and balls ripping people apart, I flew out of the truck and to a shady spot away from everyone and just sobbed .... under the copse of trees. So I guess thats my place where it all gets real
Thanks so much for sharing this, Molly. It encapsulates so much of my thinking about Civil War battlefields and how they should be interpreted given the events of the past few years. I hope to touch on this in tomorrow's post.
Gettysburg, and specifically Devil's Den and Little Round Top did it for me. I was only a kid during my first trip there and being in those spots and being able to visualize the battle over that terrain really ignited my interest in US history. It started with wars, and everything I've learned since (including other wars as well as expanding away from them) has helped me understand and contextualize the world we currently inhabit.
Kevin, I have a couple. Standing at the Surrender Site at Vicksburg. It really evokes the immense sacrifices the Soldiers the Army of the Tennessee made to take Vicksburg for 6 long months. Snodgrass Hill at Chickamauga. It is the battle in way back in 1987 which generated my interest in the Civil War. Before that I was mainly a World War 2 guy. What got me there was I was a captain in 3rd Battalion, 19th Infantry, The Rock of Chickamauga. The 19th served in King's Regular Brigade of the AOC and stood with Thomas on Snodgrass Hill. Finally, the Breakthrough Point at Pamplin Historical Park where the VIth Corps broke the line of the Confederate forces defending Petersburg on 2 April 1865. It ended the 10 month Siege of Petersburg.
Of these I've only been to Pamplin Park. I really do need to get to Chickamauga and Vicksburg. Thanks for sharing.
At Shiloh that spot is where the union line ended day 1. You look over your shoulder and see the River and realize how close that battle came to having a very different outcome. Enjoy your visit! The other place is the bloody angle at Spotsylvania courthouse. You can still see the remains of trenches and it’s easy to imagine the thousands of men who gave their lives in that struggle. When you come visit Shiloh also go to Murfreesboro to see Stones River.
I've been to Murfreesboro and Stones River. The angle at Spotsylvania is another place where the war comes alive for me. Thanks for sharing.
For me, it is Gettysburg. The whole battlefield, but particularly Little Round Top. My first visit was in the summer of 1992, when I was 12. We were there on July 2, the anniversary of the conflict. We had just visited the Jenny Wade house and I had ghosts on my mind. The air misty. As I looked around me from atop Little Round Top, I could feel a current of energy. In my mind, it felt like I could sense the battle happening just beyond the veil.
Hi Aubrey. Little Round Top is a great spot, but it is interesting that its popularity really never took off until the movie "Gettysburg" was released. Thanks for sharing.
Perryville. As for a spot, probably along the creek where the 42nd Indiana got stuck against the high banks, but really walking up and down any of the seemingly endless hills makes me realize how much tramping the soldiers did, and how hard it was as they carried pounds and pounds of equipment on a hot day during a drought.
Hi Richard. That's another battlefield that I still need to visit, though I have read Ken Noe's wonderful book about it.
It was my one and only time at Antietam. I was on the sunken road looking out at the field. Nobody else was anywhere around that I could see. Everything was so silent. So severe. It all struck me. Nothing else has come close. I still think on that place from time to time.
That is a powerful spot. One of my ggg grandfathers unit was in that sunken road that day. He was too sick to report for duty that day. If he had been well I might not be here. That’s what I thought about standing in that road.
Hi Jamie. Antietam is where my interest in this history took root. Thanks for sharing.
Franklin TN - when you take the tour at the Carter House, the last stop is the Carter Farm Office. When the guide opens the door the sight of hundreds of bullet holes in the south wall always gives me pause. I have probably done that tour 5 or 6 times, but my reaction is always heart tugging emotion.
I've only done that tour once, but I still remember it. It's a powerful place.
Cold Harbor. The walking tour of the battlefield ends at the point where you can see exactly what the Union troops saw, and knew they had to face, before they were cut down - a long open field at the end of which was a line of Confederates that had natural cover and some elevation. I had read about this battle but seeing this part of the battfield with my own eyes brought on some emotions I was not expecting.
I've spent countless hours on that battlefield. Thanks for sharing, Bill.
We visited Richmond, DC, and Gettysburg in Aug 2020. Seeing Richmond confederate statues covered in grafitti and then seeing Gettysburg covered in the battle flag and Trump signs was a lot. As for battlefields. After listening to hours of Stephen Lang celebrating the clash of swords and glints of steel and balls ripping people apart, I flew out of the truck and to a shady spot away from everyone and just sobbed .... under the copse of trees. So I guess thats my place where it all gets real
Thanks so much for sharing this, Molly. It encapsulates so much of my thinking about Civil War battlefields and how they should be interpreted given the events of the past few years. I hope to touch on this in tomorrow's post.